China signals plan to order up to 120 Airbus jets during Merz visit

China intends to order up to 120 aircraft from Airbus, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said following meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing on Wednesday.

Merz did not disclose which Chinese airlines would place the orders, but any large state-backed purchase would likely involve the country’s three major carriers: Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines.

If confirmed, the deal would represent one of the most significant aircraft commitments by Chinese airlines to a Western manufacturer in recent years. Large-scale orders from Chinese carriers have been infrequent amid trade tensions and geopolitical friction between Beijing and Washington.

Airbus has maintained a steady presence in China, supported in part by its final assembly line in Tianjin. The European manufacturer has continued to secure business in the country, while Boeing has struggled to win new major orders from Chinese customers in recent years.

The announcement comes at a time when China is also promoting its domestic aerospace industry. State-owned manufacturer COMAC produces the C909 regional jet and the C919 narrowbody, the latter designed to compete directly with the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX families. Beijing has encouraged domestic airlines to incorporate the C919 into their fleets as part of a broader push to strengthen local manufacturing.

Merz framed the prospective Airbus order as evidence of continued economic engagement between Germany and China amid global uncertainty. Details on aircraft types, delivery timelines and the structure of the purchase have not been disclosed.

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